


early in the mornings (is when i think about you)

by haarucchii



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Flower Language, M/M, Mourning, lance is only mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-09-23
Packaged: 2019-01-04 08:29:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12165225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haarucchii/pseuds/haarucchii
Summary: the summer heat burns his skin





	early in the mornings (is when i think about you)

**Author's Note:**

> a practice in symbolism

The sun burns down in summer heat as Shiro wipes a bead of sweat off his forehead. Shiro has always liked the feeling of the summer heat, reminding him of home, it reminds him of—

He brings the hoe down into the loosened soil of his garden, dragging the tool whilst walking backwards to create a rut between two mounds that pile as dirt is pushed to the side. He does the same to the new row over, and to the other beside that, until he has five grooves in the soil and the summer sun becomes clouded. Shiro digs into his pocket, grabbing around for the seeds buried deep under gardening gloves (which he never uses, he likes the feeling of the earth in his hands and the feeling of seeds leaving his hands when he plants them).

Asphodels and ruta graveolens are planted in the rows; lion's tails in the plots beside them, flowers blooming and the bright colours are staring back at Shiro. The cypress at the end of his yard is nearing it’s fifth year. The arbutus sapling ten meters away has been freshly planted just weeks before.

But it’s not going to be enough.

Shiro sees the flowers blooming on the lion's tails, sees the seeds of asphodels and rutas stare back at him. He imagines a faint smile, a warm hand ghosting over his and there’s a stuttering in his heartbeat when he resists the urge to kick the mounds up and ruin his work. The summer heat is beating down on him, he hears the faint ringing of a phone as he turns on his heel.

It’s Shiro’s fortieth birthday today, and it’s been years since he saw sunkissed skin and lazy smiles in the early mornings. It’s been five years since he felt hands go limp in his grip and the way a voice coaxes him out of his tears, whispering sweet nothings and I love yous. It’s so romanticized, and maybe he planned it, but he remembers soft eyes lose it’s light and a ring in his ears moments later.

The sun burns down in summer heat as Shiro stumbles inside, bypassing his phone that shows Steven’s name on the caller id. Shiro has stopped liking the feeling of the summer heat, because it reminds him of hanging off trees and laughter ringing through parks as they act like they’re seven years old again, because it reminds him of Lance. Shiro slides the ring off his finger, next to their wedding picture, and decides that he will continue his gardening for the day after.

Asphodels and rue burn in the sun, and they are replanted again, and again.

And again.

**Author's Note:**

> lmfao i don t even know how to even do symbolism but i tried my best pls help a young egg im suffering, also as well, this is unedited (as always)  
> twitter: haarucchii  
> tumblr: not-my-shiro


End file.
